ISSN:
1365-2494
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
Notes:
A laboratory-scale study was conducted to evaluate various methods of removing surface moisture from grass during forage harvesting. This moisture originates from dew or rain deposits, and contributes directly to the production of silage effluent. Measurements were made to determine the quantity of surface moisture on unharvested grass and the removal efficiency that centrifuging, shaking, squeezing and blowing treatments might be expected to achieve. The absolute quantity of surface moisture on the samples, which included four varieties, was estimated by blotting. The results indicated that tall fescue retained 53% more surface moisture when left in swaths during prolonged wet weather compared with unmown crop. When the wet standing crop was mown, the brush mower conditioner removed 57% of its surface moisture.Centrifuging and blowing to achieve aerodynamic dispersion of surface moisture were found to be more effective than shaking and squeezing, but estimations of the likely complexity, size and cost of field equipment showed them to be unrealistic options at the farm scale. Italian ryegrass was found to release surface moisture slightly more readily than perennial ryegrass, tall fescue or Yorkshire fog.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2494.1996.tb02075.x
